Layer brings up her concerns with the copy-chips that they have extracted from the captured new-gens, sharing this with Commander X.

I've been playing MMX8 a few times already and this is just one of the coolest bonuses a Mega Man game has had. Even though the navigators are just clones of X, Zero, and Axl playstyle wise, there is still a lot of flavor when it comes to them.

Apparently there was also supposed to be voice lines for them while they fight bosses, and even having the boys navigate for them! That would have been so cool.

They even have their own Ride Chaser colors too!

(Once again not editing because tumblr app is mean and doesn't let me italicize single words-)

It's a simple day. And a simple day means simple clothes. /Especially/ because Layer is /off/ today. And it's a /personal/ day off. There's nothing she has to prepare for, no events, nothing. She can just take the day to /relax./

And get some groceries.

Heck, maybe she'll even cook today. It's been a while since Layer has been able to /really/ do that. The lavender-haired reploid is usually /far/ too tired or busy for it... But that means going to the grocery store to pick up supplies.

So, after throwing on some comfortable clothes, Layer heads out. All the way down to her local market. Their prices are always fair, and they carry a good stock. Plus, they're usually not all that busy at this time of day. Meaning Layer's stop should be relatively quick!

Strolling down one of the aisles, Layer gathers all the dry ingredients she'll need for her meal. Pre-made noodles, curry spices, she usually doesn't /mind/ making her own, but... well.

A /little/ convince never hurt anyone.

Heading into the produce area, Layer is so distracted by getting in and out quickly, that she didn't even realize who /else/ was in the store.

Not until he calls out to her.

"Good afternoon, Layer!" X called out, making her startle a bit. "You got today off?"

"Oh! Hello there, X!" the lavender-haired reploid replied. "Good to see you! And... yeah. No work today." The blue clad reploid nods, a smile on his face. It's always /odd/ seeing the -currently off-duty- Hunter out in public. They /of course/ never wear their armor amongst civilians. That would for /one,/ make them far too recognizable. They'd likely be /swarmed/ either by detractors or fans, meaning they'd never get anything done in their own personal time. Or, they would make a situation just because a Maverick recognized them. Which... they /also/ definitely don't want.

But X was a /special/ case.

Layer herself hadn't even recognized him the first time she'd seen X out of the blue armor! He was /completely/ unrecognizable. She'd almost call it a special talent...

"Glad to hear it!" X said. "Asimov knows you work hard. Anything of note happen lately?"

"Well... Axl got into yet /another/ bungle," Layer chuckled. "Got himself stuck in the vents..." X rolls his eyes at that.

"I've told you all that you need to keep him busy..."

"Isn't he like... seventy years old?" asked a new voice, grabbing Layer's attention. Looking over, she sees a human with reddish-brown hair. Reminding her that the blue-clad Hunter had taken /in/ one after a whole fiasco regarding the Guild.

"He is," X replied dryly. "And he /should/ know better... Asimov knows why he /doesn't.../" Layer can't help but chuckle once more. -Rust knows what goes on in that prototype's head...-

"Hello," the navigator greeted. "My name is Layer. You're the girl X took in, correct?"

"Yes, this is Brook," X explained, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "We're getting some things for lunches this upcoming week." There's a worried look in his eyes, one that grabs Layer's attention. Taking a second, sneakier look from under her bangs, she can see why. The girl is /definitely/ on the thin side. -Something she is /far/ too used to seeing...-

"...What's with the shirt?" Brook asked, making the lavender-haired reploid blink. Her... shirt? Looking down, Layer finally realizes /which/ shirt she had grabbed. It wasn't anything elaborate; just a simple, gray shirt with some black lettering.

But it's what it /says/ that likely has Brook questioning it.

'Save the humans' it reads boldly, with a stylized logo reading S.O.S.R. beneath it.

"Ah... That... would be a shirt from a few years after the Eurasia crisis," Layer replied nervously. "We made them to raise funding and awareness for just how... /bad/ things got before the Shelters were ready... I mean, it takes money to get vehicles outfitted with masking tech, and lots of humans were stranded in fallout zones..."

"Who's 'we'?"

"S.O.S.R.," X chuckled. "'Save Our Sister Race'. They started as a human advocacy group. One that encouraged reploids to take an interest and help humans out after Eurasia fell. It then slowly turned into a coexistence group, accepting both reploids /and/ humans."

"Okay... but like... why?"

"Well... Eurasia devastated human populations," Layer explained. "I mean... only five percent of the human population at the time /survived/ the initial fallout. ...And less lived to see the Shelters made..."

The human /pales/ at that, causing Layer to wince. She hated that schools never really went /in depth/ about how bad the crisis was. But... it also did make sense. Nobody wanted to scare children, and it was just...

I progressed from that drawover to redesign Layer to...actually drawing my Layer redesign. I went a little crazy with the coloring since it's actually me drawing her and deciding what I want to do this time.

I don't know how this happened, it probably won't happen again.

edit: bonus, this is how I'd actually prefer to depict Layer's hair